Red Birds in North Carolina: Species Guide and Photos (2024)

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You may think birds are just common creatures, but the stunning red birds of North Carolina prove otherwise.

When’s the last time you truly stopped and admired the scarlet tanager’s fiery plumage or listened for the northern cardinal’s cheerful whistle?

There’s an entire world of avian beauty and behaviors to discover right in your own backyard, if you know where to look.

Let’s explore some of the Old North State’s most captivating species, from the regal red crossbill to the energetic house finch.

Grab your binoculars and field guide – it’s time to get better acquainted with these remarkable red birds.

You’ll gain a deeper appreciation for nature and may even feel a sense of belonging as you start identifying each vivid visitor.

The adventure awaits!

Northern Cardinal

You’ll spot that masked male’s bright red body poppin’ against the snowy backdrop as he visits your backyard feeder through the frosty winter in North Carolina.

The northern cardinal’s festive plumage livens up the drab winter landscape, his whistle piercing the stillness. He fiercely guards his territory from other males while attractin’ a mate with his colorful feathers and melodious songs.

Cardinals form lifelong pairs, raisin’ up to four broods each year in a sturdy cup nest hidden in dense shrubbery. Help this beloved backyard bird by providin’ cover, nesting sites, water, and food like sunflower seeds, fruits, and mealworms.

Support conservation of their brushy habitat and become a citizen scientist by reportin’ cardinal sightings. Revel in the northern cardinal’s beauty and song, a sign of the changin’ seasons.

House Finch

Handsome males flash rosy red heads and breasts while frequenting backyard feeders year-round across North Carolina. As you gaze out your kitchen window, watch for the blur of red as a male House Finch alights on a hanging feeder.

He busily plucks black oil sunflower seeds, flitting off occasionally to chase a female.

House Finches stick near human habitats like farms, parks, and suburban yards. You’re likely to spot their reddish-brown females too, with their streaky underparts. Finches breed in spring and summer, the male singing melodiously to attract a mate.

Supply Nyjer thistle or safflower to nourish these social, energetic birds. A splash of red livens up your yard from the Smokies to the Outer Banks as House Finches twitter and zip about.

Summer Tanager

The House Finch’s reddish coloring pales in comparison to the vivid red plumage of the Summer Tanager. As an avid birdwatcher, you’ll marvel at the tanager’s flame-colored feathers during the summer months.

This species breeds in mature forests across the state, where it forages for bees, wasps, and other flying insects.

Though tanager numbers have declined, proper habitat conservation gives hope for the future of this beloved red bird.

Scarlet Tanager

Spot that stunning scarlet male with jet black wings fluttering through deciduous forests this summer. Look up to the treetops and listen for the Scarlet Tanager‘s raspy call as it darts between branches hunting insects.

This Red Bird prefers large tracts of mature oak-hickory forest, so head to the mountains where its range peaks during breeding season. Follow its migration on Audubon’s interactive maps, as the Scarlet Tanager winters in South America.

Help conserve its breeding habitat by volunteering with local land trusts. Offer mealworms to supplement its diet of bees, wasps, and other flying insects.

Cross this flashy tropical visitor off your life list and share photos with birding groups to educate enthusiasts about its range in North Carolina. The Scarlet Tanager’s brilliant plumage makes it a highly-sought summer sighting.

Purple Finch

From the dazzling reds of summer tanagers slicing through forest canopies, we turn our sights to the raspberry hues of the purple finch. Though small, the male’s brilliant plumage gives him away as he flits between branches.

You’ll spot these winter visitors at feeders as temperatures drop, nibbling black oil sunflower seeds with gusto.

Favoring northern coniferous forests in summer, purple finches migrate south when cone crops are scarce. Their diet depends on the season – insects and seeds in summer switching to buds and fruits in winter.

Though populations are declining, they remain a winter delight for North Carolina birders.

Appreciate their musical warbling and striking colors against the grey backdrop of winter before they depart for northern nesting grounds.

Red Crossbill

You’ll often hear the raspy calls of crisscrossed-billed Red Crossbills as they work to pry open cones while foraging throughout western North Carolina’s coniferous forests year-round. These unique finches have evolved specially adapted beaks to efficiently extract seeds from conifer cones.

• Prefers higher elevation spruce-fir forests.
• Feeds almost exclusively on conifer seeds.
• Irregular migration patterns.
• Nests very early, even in winter.

With crossed mandibles that allow them to pry open cones, Red Crossbills fill a particular niche in the North Carolina avifauna. Keep an ear out for their distinct vocalizations as you explore the state’s evergreen woodlands.

Though populations fluctuate, their specialized adaptations ensure Red Crossbills remain a constant presence, busily feeding on cones across the western mountains.

Common Redpoll

You’d barely glimpse the elusive common redpoll in wintertime North Carolina. Flitting between snow-dusted pines, this tiny bird searches for seeds to fuel its endless motion. Stocky yet nimble, redpolls flit acrobatically while feeding, daintily plucking seeds with needle-sharp bills.

Watch for a crimson wash on the male’s breast and pinky-red cap set off against yellowish white and dark streaks. Listen for its distinctive call, like the sound of tinkling glass, amid the whistles of goldfinches and tweets of chickadees.

Though redpolls breed in Canada’s northern forests, some wander south when cone crops fail up north. Protect their winter habitat and food sources so redpolls can refuel and regain strength for the long migration back home.

With care, we may again welcome the flash of crimson and tinkle of redpolls among the towering pines.

White-winged Crossbill

White-winged Crossbill

Though infrequently spotted, you’ve occasionally glimpsed the distinctive white wing patches of this rare finch while hiking in Chapel Hill and Stony Hill. The White-winged Crossbill is an unusual sighting in central North Carolina. This northern species occasionally strays south in search of conifer forests where it can pry seeds from pine cones with its distinctive crossed bill.

You may catch a glimpse of these nomadic red finches in winter, when small flocks descend on cone-bearing trees. Listen for their distinctive flight call – a loud jip-jip – as they fly over. Sightings peak during periodic irruptions, like in 2018 when this scarce visitor was spotted at several locations across the state.

Always have your National Geographic field guide handy during hikes – you never know when you may add this striking bird to your life list! Though uncommon, dedicated birders may be rewarded with sightings of this unique species if they explore the right coniferous habitat.

Pine Grosbeak

Seriously, this red bird hides way up in the Great White North and can’t be bothered to visit us.

1. Plant conifers. They love munching on conifer seeds and buds. Stock up on black spruce, tamarack, and white pine.
2. Try cottoneaster berries. These waxy red fruits are a favorite winter food source.
3. Leave some sunflower seeds. Though adapted for conifer cones, they will stop at feeders for an easy snack.

With the right habitat and food sources, maybe this northern nomad will venture down for a visit. But more likely we’ll have to travel north to spy this blazing beauty in the boreal forests and mountains where it’s normally found.

Frequency of Sightings

Now we’re looking at appearances of redbirds during the different seasons in North Carolina. Come summer, Northern Cardinals and Summer Tanagers dominate the scene. You’ll spot those fiery red males singing from high perches as the days grow longer and warmer.

Try coastal spots like Masonboro Island or inland at Eno River State Park to see Summer Tanagers chasing insects.

Come winter, House Finches and Purple Finches visit feeders more often. Use specific seeds and suet to attract winter finches, but also keep an eye out for rare migrants like the Red Crossbill. With keen observation, photography tips, and conservation, you’ll find red birds year-round, even spotting special visitors like the Vermilion Flycatcher.

Though some species migrate, familiar faces like the Northern Cardinal give flashes of red through the seasons.